Seriously considering selling/trading Prius V

See this thread:

Experience in selling a '12 v | PriusChat

 

With 40k I think you are good but I would certainly sell it privately. My understanding is car sales in OKC (and everywhere) have essentially stopped so you might advertise it and stay firm with a decent private party value until you can sell which might take a month or more. Traditionally this is the time to sell used cars since its tax refund time and soon to be stimulus checks but $1 gas and concern over future incomes may require deep discounting to sell immediately. They are good cars to drive and still get 40 or better mpg. Having someone drive it may be key. What color is it and what kind of price do you want?

 

I posted on CraigsList and had my choice of buyers in 4 hours. But that was back in June of last year and mine had more miles than yours but not excessive. I priced it fairly, at more than a dealer would pay me and less than what they would sell it for. I had people calling from as far away as 500 miles. I didn't even have a picture posted.

This car is not for sale. I only post the ad I used to sell it as a suggestion.

"Prius v 2012 5 seat hybrid station wagon ~55k miles Model Three white exterior with light grey interior with the following differences from the typical model Three:


· Leather Seats and Armrests dealer installed with Toyota kit prior to delivery +~$700


· LED DRL (Daylight Running Lights) dealer installed with Toyota parts +~$700


· Weathertech rubber floor mats front and rear footwells and rear cargo area (Original mats included) +~$350 Snow, rain or even milk spills no problem.


· Michelin Low Rolling Resistance tires, wiper blades, AGM 12v battery replaced


· Oil and filter changed at 1k and every ~5k interval in contrast to typical 10k changes. Last change ~54.5k miles. Nothing but OEM synthetic oil used.


· Two recalls performed. None outstanding.


· Navigation firmware update and map update done, XM-radio (requires subscription), Entune, single CD


· 2 remote key fobs, luggage section privacy cover, original hubcaps.


· No accidents. Not even a metal chip. Some small bumper chips.


· All service records available for inspection. Serviced only by a single dealer. Last inspection report at 54.5k miles


· Probably the most upgraded, documented v you can find. Clear title. One owner. Needs nothing that I know of.


Hybrid battery warranty good for 8 years from date of original purchase or 100k miles. Typically, they last twice as long. Brakes last maybe last 100k or more.


41.6+ MPG over its lifetime (verify at fuelly.com under goodwitch).


Kelly Blue Book $11.4k-$13.4k very good condition private party sale Carmax offers 2 similar but 92k and 130k miles and lesser upgrades at $13k+


$12.0k due to upgrades and maintenance history."


Sanford NC 50 miles south of Raleigh, 30 miles North of Fayetteville

 

How bad is the front bumper? Pic?

 

Low mileage ones are VERY rare. I happily paid $15,500 last fall for my certified 24K mile 2013 from a Toyota dealer.

Many buyers are looking for the best deal, but the smart ones are looking for the best car. I'd start high ($12K?), you can always come down. If your state has a front license plate, maybe relocate it over the bumper flaw.

I'd post on both Craigslist and Facebook. Facebook actually better these days- fewer scammers, and you have a reasonable chance of knowing who you are dealing with, whether buyer or seller.

In my experience, price guides are always wrong by thousands of dollars for unusually low mile cars of any model and brand.

 

I would definitely try to sell it private party.
I don't think I would invest into fixing that ding.
In selling it I would be open and honest about the ding.
Price so you have some wiggle room to negotiate IF you find a buyer or buyers look for a discount because of the ding. But otherwise don't assume they will and/or that you need to discount the price. Even if you find you have to negotiate, it's likely you can negotiate to a sale, at some discount less than $900.
Not trying to be sleazy here, but you might find a lot of buyers willing to overlook that ding, and/or willing to pay a fair price and fix it themselves.

 

Your car is more valuable than what most dealers offer because you can offer the maintenance history- car dealers can rarely offer anything more than a carfax and those are usually woefully inadequate.

On the other hand, car dealers can offer financing, which is pretty much the secret ingredient for selling any car for more than a few thousand bucks. Hopefully the banks in your area are still writing auto loans, otherwise the buyer pool will be pretty small.

I would not bother to fix the hitch dent- you won't even get $0.50 back on the dollar for that repair.

 

Some states credit trade-ins against sales tax on new cars. If you trade in a $10k car when buying a new $30k car, you’d only pay tax on $20k. So that increases the real return to you when you trade in.

Also, I bet dealers are desperate to sell cars these days, it can’t hurt to see what deal they’d offer with your trade.

 

Get the Subaru.

 

Possibly a misdirected reply? I'm not shopping for a car.

 

Thought that was going to.... Bluesman2017

 

I would not use the $900 estimate you got as the cost for replacing the bumper. The unpainted bumper only costs $200 to $250. I found a seller on eBay that would sell me one painted to match the color code of my car for $300. Shipping would have been by truck (expensive), but the seller was only 70 miles away (road trip!) so I saved that cost. It took 2 hours for me to install, and it color match was perfect. I had a "new" bumper for 1/3 the cost of my local "Caliber Collision" franchise. Coincidently that shop also quoted $900 in Philadelphia.

You are in Oklahoma, so you might not find such a deal so close by. Body shop prices without insurance are always negotiable.
I would not use a body shop's first quote as an "Appearance allowance" on a used car. The guy in North Jersey who sold me the bumper still made a profit at $300.

I would sell the car as is, no discount. Used cars sell fast these days, so you are in the driver's seat in the transaction. If push came to shove, I would offer at discount of no more than $300. You are selling a used car... Let the buyer figure out how to get a "new" bumper.